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LOT 0180
Byzantine Silver Ring with Epigraphy
6TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (9.71 grams, 24.51 mm overall, 18.56 mm internal diameter (approximate size British Q, USA 8, Europe 17.49, Japan 16)).
The shank with herringbone markings in imitation of braiding, trefoil shoulders, drum-shaped bezel with incised cruciform texts 'P+B' and 'ω+KX'.
ProvenanceGerman art market.
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2003.
Cf. Ruseva-Slokoska, L., Roman Jewellery, Sofia, 1991, item 227, for type.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Bronze Plaque with Lion
6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Rectangular belt-buckle plaque with hinge knuckles and slotted rear; low-relief panel with advancing lion motif. 11.7 grams, 40 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Byzantine Period Child's Glass Bangle
Circa 6th-10th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Annular black glass shank with marvered panels of blue and red glass. 10.1 grams, 45 mm
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
Byzantine 'Greek Fire' Ceramic Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade
9th-11th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Piriform body with domed filler-hole, band of rosettes within circles to the shoulder; intended to be filled with explosive liquid and wick, used as a hand grenade. 260 grams, 92 mm
From a specialist collection of militaria, London, UK, collected 1990s onwards. Accompanied by an academic paper by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato, dated 15 July 2019 and titled 'Eastern Roman Empire - Greek Fire Bomb or Hand Grenade (μεσαίον kακάβιον) 9th-11th century AD'.
Apart from the use of siphons or manual flame-throwers called cheirosiphona, special corps of Roman soldiers employed terracotta grenades, in the form of small jars, abundantly evidenced in archaeological excavations. They were called μεσαία kακαβιά or κυτροκακάβια where the former had a bulbous shape and the latter a more cylindrical form.
